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Materials from the gala
We invite you to take a few moments to watch our video to learn more about our event.
We are thankful for the support of Via Transilvanica Ambassadors, Andreea Esca, who helped us raise awareness in our community.
What is VIA Transilvanica?
Inspired by hike trails around the world, Tășuleasa Social planned to create one in Romania, to go from Bucovina, through Transylvania, to finally reach Drobeta Turnu Severin in the Banat region.
In 2017, the organisation laid the first brick at Putna Monastery - the resting place of Ștefan cel Mare. Up until the end of 2019, Via Transilvanica has expanded to encompass a finished hiking trail 398km long. Tășuleasa Social hopes that by the end of 2022, they will finish building it, expanding it to reach its projected length of 950km.
Initially the hiking trail was meant to be a grassroots project, funded by the people and for the people. Throughout its evolution, the organisation had to work with local and regional governments, in order to ensure the maintenance of the path and its relationship to the communities it passes through. Additionally, along the way, multinational corporations such as Raiffeisen Bank, E-On, Coca Colba HBC, E EGGER and many others have joined the collective effort and donate funds to facilitate the construction of more than 600km combined.
2020 Progress
Starting from July until August, Via Transilvanica was frequented by more than 1.500 people, either by foot, by horse or by bicycle. The old roads are now constantly visited by hikers who raise awareness about them. The newly-inaugarated 685 kilometres are permanently being trespassed by tourists.
This year, Tășuleasa Social, started a new strategy of taking care of the existent marked roads: parts of the path were being offered to adoption to a variety of individuals, organisations, etc. The part of the road in Bistrița-Năsăud enjoys adoptive parents almost in its entirety, and we were also managed to find some for the other counties: Mureș, Brașov, Harghita.
What is left for 2020?
- The development of 287km and opening up to the public the already-marked paths throughout the year.
- Creating a traveller's guide for the existent paths and translating it in English and German.
- Organising some sculpture camps, so that the milestones on the path can incorporate a cultural part.
- Refurbishing the milestones where those were deteriorated or destroyed.
- Maintaining and improving the website of Via Transilvanica and adding the web-pages in English; as well as sharing with the public the mobile app Via Transilvanica.
- Creating promotional activities.
Romanians from Chicago coming to help
Motivated by the values that stand behind Via Transilvanica - access to nature, aid to local communities - Romanian United Fund organised in 2019 a gala at Chicago aimed at raising funds for the project. 300 donors, came together, to raise over 100.000$ which were used to help build between 50 - 100km of the hiking trail.
In an interview, Mihai Lehene, said in an interview that every dollar donated to Via Transilvanica will generate back to the local communities and to its inhabitants, somewhere between 20 - 50 dollars. Thus, the $100,000 contribution coming from RUF could bring to the communities well over $2,000,000.
